Record Number of Nurseries and Tradestands

Monday 25 July 2016

The RHS Wisley Flower Show (6 – 11 September 2016), the last major event in the UK flower show year, returns in 2016 with a record 75 nurseries and garden tradestands offering their wares, including 17 nurseries attending for the first time.

The vibrant visual feast will be enhanced by more than 100 exhibitors competing for the top prizes in the National Dahlia Society Annual Show. Visitors can enter the ‘My Best Garden Dahlia’ competition, by bringing along a single stem by 11am on Saturday or Sunday (judging at noon; prizes awarded at 3pm). Surrey National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS) will be exhibiting its magnificent floral art creations under the theme ‘Not Quite Strictly’ in the Floral Ballroom Marquee, with more than 100 floral designers ‘taking to the floor’ using the finest flowers and latest techniques.

No fewer than 55 of the UK’s best nurseries, including Gold and other medal winners at the RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Palace Shows, will offer plants for sale. Of these, 17 are attending for the first time including Lime Cross, a family-run business specialising in conifers, trees and shrubs, and Ottershaw Cacti, which runs one of the largest private collections of cactus and succulents. Pepperpot Nursery sells a wide range of unusual herbs, such as catnip, comfrey and heartsease, as well as interesting selections of common herbs such as mint ‘Chocolate Peppermint’. T3 Plants supplies unusual plants, specialising in abutilons and salvias, and Stafford Lake produces some of the finest hostas available.

There will be a strong programme of demonstrations on floral arranging by NAFAS, talks by exhibitors and RHS Garden Wisley curatorial staff and students on a wide range of gardening topics, and the show also offers the chance to source free, authoritative gardening advice from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Matthew Pottage, Curator, RHS Garden Wisley, says: “The Flower Show is growing in size and popularity ever year, partly because it offers the chance to buy the very late summer hot coloured plants, which are different from those on sale at the earlier summer shows. It’s also a great time to see the garden in glorious late summer bloom, with spectacular flowers such as Japanese anemones, fiery ruby, orange and yellow heleniums, pink and purple phlox and pink and red Hesperantha..’

As well as Wisley's flowers, the kitchen garden will be at its best, and the fruit trees will also be starting to come into their own, with fruit such as pears and plums starting to ripen. The Surrey Sculpture Society Trail around the garden will feature around 60 sculptures from established and up-and-coming artists from across South East England, all available to buy.

There will be a free shuttle bus from Horsley station every 20 minutes throughout opening hours of the show, and those who travel by train will receive 25% off their entry ticket.

Groups of more than 10 people £11.70 per person
Green travel by bus or bicycle £10.75 per person
Group visits must be booked in advance.

About the RHSThe Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 by Sir Joseph Banks and John Wedgwood to inspire passion and excellence in the science, art and practice of horticulture. Our vision is to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener, healthier, happier and more beautiful place. We believe everyone in every village, town and city should benefit from growing plants to enhance lives, build stronger, healthier, happier communities and create better places to live.

We held our first flower shows in 1820, were granted a Royal Charter in 1861 and acquired RHS Garden Wisley, our flagship garden, in 1903. From our first meetings in a small room off London’s Piccadilly, we have grown to become the world’s largest gardening charity. At our gardens and shows and through our scientific research, publications, libraries and our education and community programmes we inspire a passion for gardening and growing plants, promote the value of gardens, demonstrate how gardening is good for us and explain the vital roles that plants undertake.

The RHS is committed to bring the joy of gardening to millions more people, inspire the next generation of gardeners and invest in the future to safeguard a £10.4 billion industry employing more than 300,000 people. We are entirely funded by our members, visitors and supporters.

RHS membership is for anyone with an interest in gardening. Support the RHS and secure a healthy future for gardening. For more information call: 020 3176 5820, or visit www.rhs.org.uk/join

About the RHS

The RHS believes that gardening improves the quality of life and that everyone should have access to great garden experiences. As a charity we help to bring gardening into people's lives and support gardeners of all levels and abilities; whether they are expert horticulturists or children who are planting seeds for the very first time.

RHS membership is for anyone with an interest in gardening. Support the RHS and secure a healthy future for gardening. For more information call: 0845 130 4646, or visit www.rhs.org.uk